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Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Until about 10 minutes ago, I had no idea this car existed. A "T5" was a transmission in my mind.

For all intents and purposes, the T5 is a Mustang built for the European market.

According to the website FordT5.com, the T5 name was used because the Mustang name was being used by a German truck manufacturer.

Sometime in the early 1950s a German truck manufacturer, Krupp, introduced a large general purpose truck and named it the Mustang. They were issued German copyrights to the name Mustang and continued to build this truck for many years. This truck was built in several configurations including a dump truck and a fire engine. This then was the situation with the name Mustang that Ford faced when they tried to sell their successful pony car in Germany. Rather than simply buying the name from Krupp for a reported $10,000 they chose instead to change the name of all Mustangs exported to Germany to Ford T5s. T5 has no specific meaning but it was the original project name for the Mustang in the early 1960s.

There were very few differences between the Mustang and the T5. Again, according to FordT5.com:

In the early models, 65 and 66, several modifications were incorporated to change the car from a Mustang to a T5. The 65s received modified hub caps with a plain black center; both model years had the word Mustang removed from the horn ring and a few other minor changes. The Mustang Pony Interior package included a wood steering wheel. In most cases Ford T5s with Pony Interiors received the standard steering wheel with the word Mustang deleted. Ford did design new emblems for the front fender to designate the cars as T5s. They were also fitted with the export brace later used in the GT-350s. The changes in later years was less, often only replacing the Mustang emblems with a newly designed T5 emblem that was similar to the early GT emblems with T5 centered vertically. These emblems were used on all T5s until December 1979. Some but not all 67 models and all 68 models received a special dash bezel above the glove box with the T5 designation on it. In 1971 a new dash emblem was used in the center of the dash above the radio and heater controls. The Ford T5 IIs also received a special dash emblem . In most cases these changes were done with predictability and consistency. However, due to production oversights and perhaps lack of attention by selling dealers, variations have been noted. Mustangs or T5s were one of the most popular American cars with German nationals, although the exact numbers are not known, many were sold directly to Germans and remained in Germany. The Krupp copyrights to the name Mustang expired in December 1979 and all Mustangs exported to Germany after that date were called Mustangs

A large percentage of these cars were sold to US servicemen stationed in Europe. According to John Clor, Ford Mustang historian and author of The Mustang Dynasty, "Over the years, many of T5s that ended up in civilian hands in Europe were first purchased by soldiers stationed in Germany. Some soldiers had their cars shipped back stateside at the end of their tour of duty while others sold them to German civilians.”

Identifying a "real" T5 is apparently difficult, as Ford did not use special VINs on the T5.

This T5 has been in storage since 1987. Although its engine was rebuilt prior to going into storage, it needs complete restoration.

The asking price is $9800.00, which would be steep for a 1967 Mustang in need of restoration. But, if this is a real T5, the premium price may be worth it. The driving experience won't be any different, but you'll most certainly attract a crowd at any Mustang meet.

Lovated in NE Colorado Springs, CO, click here to see the Craigslist ad.

For an extra 9k you can get this: http://monterey.craigslist.org/cto/4337943679.html

T-5's are also rumored to have had inconsistent upgrades during their production life. Early road tests of the first T-5's praised the cars for their power and dismissed them for their ability to handle accordingly. The first four years saw an increase in body rigidity, as well as steering and suspension enhancements to satisfy the German automobile magazines. Sadly, the actual numbers of T-5's built through 1966 are not known. However, it is believed that at least one T-5 never actually left the United States to survive as a base model mustang with all of the amenities.

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